head. The pain radiated throughout my limbs, stinging with each pulse of my blood. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus on keeping one foot in front of the other as I pushed ahead. A slight break in the trees revealed the drop-off I’d been expecting, and I raised my hand to slow Rain behind me.
I reveled in the small victories of the mission. Looking at Rain and then the camera, I motioned her to come to me slowly, and pointed forward as she cleared the trees. She gasped, fueling the smile that cracked my dry-as-fuck lips.
“We’ve made it to an incredibly high vantage point on the mountain.” I pointed toward the other mountains that bordered this one, and then to the huge drop over the ledge we stood on. “Check this out. This whole range is filled with caves, most naturally formed over time, and some dating back thousands of years. You see the gaps there?” I pointed across the wide expanse of air, trying to highlight the holes on the mountainside across from us. “Those are all caves. There are literally thousands that haven’t been explored here in Israel, some because no one can get to them safely, and others because they simply haven’t been discovered yet.” I spoke directly to the camera now, allowing the backdrop to fuel my words.
“If you believe the legends—and I’m operating under that belief—then the Babylonians, who were last rumored to hold a horde of treasure that included the infamous King Solomon’s, could have easily fled through this very mountain range after they’d looted the King’s temple. Some Babylonians were caught, but never with the treasure, and many scholars believe they were able to hide it in a naturally-formed cave as they passed through Israel in their attempts to escape.” I glanced back out toward the horizon, my heart catching at the overwhelming view and the taste of the treasure so close it made me forget how much my body hated me right now. “You can imagine the genius behind the idea, knowing it would be protected and preserved until one of their own could come back for it. Unfortunately, that never happened. Many were killed, the rest died in prisons before they could journey back.”
I craned my head to the left, my eyes sharp on the ground beneath us. Glancing behind me, and then back to the camera, I smirked. “Now this is going to be the true test of the treasure hunters who are following our tracks in the hopes to claim as their own the treasure I seek.” I gently clutched Rain’s shoulder, positioning her to get a great shot of the barely there ledge we’d have to cross in order to continue on our current track.
“We’ll have to hug the mountain’s wall and, inch-by-inch, work our way across the tiny gap until the terrain flattens out enough for us to hike again.”
“You’re shitting me,” Rain blurted out and then slapped her hand over her mouth.
I chuckled as I slipped off my pack and set it down before me. “It’s okay, we can edit that part out.” I dug in the bag, pulling out a set of hooks and rappel rope.
“Sorry, but really?” She eyed the ledge I’d pointed at, which was only wide enough for the toes of our boots.
“It’s the only way to the cave I’m leading Corrine’s team to. Hopefully it’ll be enough of a risk to make them turn back, or go their own way, but if they do continue to track us I have a great endpoint to lose them. Then we can finally get on our own course to Harrison’s cave.”
She sucked in a breath.
“Haven’t you ever climbed before? To photograph mountain lions or goats or something?”
“Yes, but never under the slim terrain you’re suggesting.”
I stood up after fixing the rope, and tied it around her waist, looping it through a steel hook. I couldn’t help but gently brush her flat stomach after finishing, torturing myself with the feel of her body. “It’ll be fine. You’ll be tandem with me, and I’ll secure us to a good anchor on this end.
“And the other
I reveled in the small victories of the mission. Looking at Rain and then the camera, I motioned her to come to me slowly, and pointed forward as she cleared the trees. She gasped, fueling the smile that cracked my dry-as-fuck lips.
“We’ve made it to an incredibly high vantage point on the mountain.” I pointed toward the other mountains that bordered this one, and then to the huge drop over the ledge we stood on. “Check this out. This whole range is filled with caves, most naturally formed over time, and some dating back thousands of years. You see the gaps there?” I pointed across the wide expanse of air, trying to highlight the holes on the mountainside across from us. “Those are all caves. There are literally thousands that haven’t been explored here in Israel, some because no one can get to them safely, and others because they simply haven’t been discovered yet.” I spoke directly to the camera now, allowing the backdrop to fuel my words.
“If you believe the legends—and I’m operating under that belief—then the Babylonians, who were last rumored to hold a horde of treasure that included the infamous King Solomon’s, could have easily fled through this very mountain range after they’d looted the King’s temple. Some Babylonians were caught, but never with the treasure, and many scholars believe they were able to hide it in a naturally-formed cave as they passed through Israel in their attempts to escape.” I glanced back out toward the horizon, my heart catching at the overwhelming view and the taste of the treasure so close it made me forget how much my body hated me right now. “You can imagine the genius behind the idea, knowing it would be protected and preserved until one of their own could come back for it. Unfortunately, that never happened. Many were killed, the rest died in prisons before they could journey back.”
I craned my head to the left, my eyes sharp on the ground beneath us. Glancing behind me, and then back to the camera, I smirked. “Now this is going to be the true test of the treasure hunters who are following our tracks in the hopes to claim as their own the treasure I seek.” I gently clutched Rain’s shoulder, positioning her to get a great shot of the barely there ledge we’d have to cross in order to continue on our current track.
“We’ll have to hug the mountain’s wall and, inch-by-inch, work our way across the tiny gap until the terrain flattens out enough for us to hike again.”
“You’re shitting me,” Rain blurted out and then slapped her hand over her mouth.
I chuckled as I slipped off my pack and set it down before me. “It’s okay, we can edit that part out.” I dug in the bag, pulling out a set of hooks and rappel rope.
“Sorry, but really?” She eyed the ledge I’d pointed at, which was only wide enough for the toes of our boots.
“It’s the only way to the cave I’m leading Corrine’s team to. Hopefully it’ll be enough of a risk to make them turn back, or go their own way, but if they do continue to track us I have a great endpoint to lose them. Then we can finally get on our own course to Harrison’s cave.”
She sucked in a breath.
“Haven’t you ever climbed before? To photograph mountain lions or goats or something?”
“Yes, but never under the slim terrain you’re suggesting.”
I stood up after fixing the rope, and tied it around her waist, looping it through a steel hook. I couldn’t help but gently brush her flat stomach after finishing, torturing myself with the feel of her body. “It’ll be fine. You’ll be tandem with me, and I’ll secure us to a good anchor on this end.
“And the other
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